The invention relates to a transducer for the simultaneous measurement of different physiological quantities, with a measuring head containing a transducer for measuring a first physiological quantity and a transducer having electrodes connectable to signal processing electronics for measuring a bioelectrical quantity as a further physiological quantity, and comprising a contact surface by means of which it can be engaged with the human or animal body, at least a first one of said electrodes being located at the measuring head to contact with the human or animal body together with the contact surface.
Transducers containing measuring members for the simultaneous measurement of different physiological quantities are always important in medicine, if the application of a large number of measuring members is difficult for time or space reasons, or because it stresses the patient. A typical example is the problem of fitting measuring members to the head or buttocks of a foetus still in the uterus at the time of birth. In the case of a known transducer of the aforementioned type (DOS No. 2,930,663) a transducer for the polarographic measurement of the oxygen partial pressure and a transducer for measuring heart potentials (electrocardiogram) are combined with one another in a measuring head. The ECG electrodes in this known transducer are all located in the contact surface through which the measuring head is applied. In view of the necessarily small size of the measuring head and consequently its contact surface, it is a disadvantage of this electrode arrangement that due to their resulting close spatial proximity, there is a considerable risk of a short-circuit between the electrodes. In addition, the potential differences to be measured are small and are therefore difficult to separate from interfering potentials.